


i'll be better

by diamondRings_andThingslikethat



Series: Mrs. & Mrs. West [1]
Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: Adults, Aged-Up Character(s), Established Relationship, F/F, Marriage, Married Couple, Post-Canon, Post-High School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23755867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diamondRings_andThingslikethat/pseuds/diamondRings_andThingslikethat
Summary: Cat and Jade have been married for a long time. And, they have three kids (so far). Jade isn't as active as a parent as she should be, and Cat is fed up.
Relationships: Cat Valentine & Jade West, Cat Valentine/Jade West
Series: Mrs. & Mrs. West [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711318
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	i'll be better

**Author's Note:**

> They're like 34. Maybe seem a little OOC but like they grown grown.

Cat was used to waking up alone. Being married to a workaholic for nearly fourteen years, one grows to expect such things. Especially since for the first year and half of being married, she and Jade didn't live together. As used to it as she was, she couldn't say that she loved it. She lived for those rare days where her wife had absolutely nothing to do and she was privileged enough to wake up in Jade's arms. 

More than that, though, she lived for the days where she woke up to a quiet house, but she wasn't that fortunate today. 

Today, she woke up in their dark bedroom to the sounds of thuds and screams, chilling screams that rose every hair on her body to attention. She didn't even register her own movements; she was downstairs in the kids' playroom before she realized. Malcom was keeled over, clutching his chest, eyes screwed shut with tears present on his cheeks. His twin brother, Maverick, stood over him, staring at Cat, wide eyed, breathing hard. Her daughter, Jazelle, in typical Jazelle fashion, was face deep in a book as if the world around her didn't exist at all. Cat didn't even get a chance to say anything before Maverick tried to defend himself. 

"I didn't do anything." 

Jazelle sighed and turned the page. 

"He hit Malcom in the chest." She negated, quietly, in that teeny, high pitched voice of hers that hadn't seemed to have quite left the toddler stage yet. 

It wasn't as if Cat needed her to say anything. Maverick had a real problem with lying. About just anything and everything, and Cat didn't get it. She was honest, an open book, always had been. So was Jade, brutally so. She had a difficult understanding where he got this from, but she also didn't really care. She just knew it irked her soul. And, if he wasn't in trouble before — which he was, no doubt about it — the lie just really sent her over the edge. 

When Cat first got pregnant, she said that she wasn't going to physically discipline their kids. And, she hasn't (completely) gone back on that, but now that she's an actual mom, she understands the urge so much more. 

She narrowed her eyes at that black haired, blue eyed boy. 

"I didn't mean to!" He said, voice shaking. Jazelle snorted. 

Malcom rose to his feet, with that Jade West like fire in his eyes. On instinct, Cat fully entered the room to get in between her boys. Not that it mattered, they just fought as if she wasn't standing there. She did her best to restrain them, but they got her strength, which was unfortunate and she was getting so often it was hard to keep her form. She screamed for her wife, for assistance to no avail, but it didn't stop her from trying. 

There was one particular blow to her thigh that made her swear (which she tried not to do often, certainly not in front of her children). She couldn't quite tell who it came from and she just knew it would bruise. Fueled by anger, she pushed them both, sending Maverick into the wall and Malcolm into the dresser. Silence filled the room as guilt washed over her and the boys mirrored each other's shocked expressions. 

The silence was short lived, soon to be replaced by loud cries and she was still dealing with it, all by herself. 

It was Saturday, she knew that. She wasn't that far gone that she didn't know what day it was; long gone were days of being overwhelmingly ditzy. So, she knew she wasn't home alone; Jade doesn't work away from home on weekends. Her anger was still very present, strong, even, but it was redirected.

She didn't regret marrying Jade; she'd do it a million times over but sometimes, she hated her fucking guts. 

Cat went over to Malcom — because he was closer — and scooped him up in her arms, propping him up on her hip. Then, she went over and picked up Maverick. Malcom buried his face in her neck, still crying as Maverick, calming down, laid his head on her shoulder, wiping his own tears.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She sighed, "Mommy didn't mean to hurt you, okay?" They nodded. Cat tossed a look back to her daughter, who hadn't even looked up from her book, thankfully. One less thing to worry about. She walked the boys back to their (individual) rooms and put them each in bed. Once each of her boys were settled, she made way to her wife's office. 

Something about seeing Jade type away at her laptop, in lounge wear and pajamas made Cat want to throw water on her work. Her nails tapped against the door as she just stared. 

Jade could feel Cat's presence but she didn't look up.

"I called you. Did you not hear me, hear any of that?" 

She still doesn't look up; Cat wants to smack her. 

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm just really caught up in this script." 

Cat smacks the door. 

"I don't _care_ about your script!" She snaps. 

Of course, Jade looks up this time, sees her tiny wife. She always gets a little lost in her head when she sees Cat, always gets a little lost in her beauty. Gone were the days of Cat's red velvet inspired hair; she'd grown out of that in their twenties. Now, she was natural. Let her jet black curls free, and those curls were looking particularly wild at the moment, which was Jade's favorite look. But, Cat held such contempt in her eyes it was hard to really revel in her beauty. And, when she really looked at her wife, she saw more exhaustion than she did anger. She also saw a bruise on her upper thigh and frowned. 

"What happened?" 

Cat just scoffed and turned to leave. Jade saved her work and got up to follow. Cat muttered, cursing her wife under breath the entire way back to their bedroom. 

"Kitten!" 

Cat turned around, pointing her finger in Jade's face. 

" _Don't_ call me that!" 

Cat turned and entered the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Jade opened the door as if she hadn't just done that and slipped in right behind her, closing the door, gently. She leant her back against the door and sighed. 

"I didn't marry you to be a single mom, Jade." 

"What the fuck does that even mean?" Jade countered, feeling her temperature rising. 

"It means we're supposed to be a team, but I do everything by myself. I parent by myself. I'm basically in this marriage by myself. I barely see you, you barely spend time with the kids." 

Jade held the bridge of her nose. 

"I was working, okay. Excuse me, for trying to feed the family."

She pushed herself from the door and walked over to where Cat was standing near the bed. Cat whirled on her so she stopped walking. When they got married, Andre said a prayer for Cat to survive Jade; he prayed for the wrong woman. 

"Don't even go there!" She huffed, "Don't act like your career is the only one that took off. I have a freaking Oscar!" She walked over to the dresser for a hair tie and gathered her loose curls together to put up, "I'm _still_ in high demand, let's not forget. I literally just had a Tim Burton script sent to me last week. The only reason I don't work much is because I can't count on you to take of my kids when I'm not here." 

Jade rolled her eyes. Cat could be so dramatic at times. 

"God, all this over _one_ incident. I was working, baby, I have deadlines. Excuse the fuck out of me. Sorry." 

Cat whirled on her again. But, she stayed where she was to maintain distance. Tried to remind herself that while yes, she had been to prison before and it wasn't terrible for her, her kids had never been in foster care and that would be terrible for them. Jade really tested her patience, almost every chance she got. 

"This isn't just about today! You never help me with anything!" She inhaled, then exhaled. "You think because you take them for ice cream or to the park every once in a while that you're being a parent, but you're not. Andre can do that. I need you to actually help me."

Jade's eyes drifted back down to her thigh. Mostly because she didn't have a rebuttal for that, and she didn't want to sleep on the couch tonight. It was clear she was on thin ice. 

"What happened to your thigh?" 

"I got hit by one of the boys." She sighed. 

Jade felt her blood boil. She wasn't the best parent, which subsequently made her not the best spouse, either. But, sometimes, when she did get involved, she was the iron fist around the house (which in hindsight was probably why Cat was screaming for her earlier)(she should definitely apologize). And, if she was nothing else, she was protective of Cat. 

Cat could see the wheels turning in her head and walked over to her, grabbing her, one hand on her waist and the other on her elbow before she could leave the bedroom. 

"No, no. I put them back to bed already."

Jade looked back over her shoulder towards the door. 

"I should still go talk to them." 

Jade wrapped an arm around Cat's waist, held tight, in case she tried to squirm. She didn't.

"It's your fault anyway." She explained; Jade's forehead creased as her eyebrows dropped. "I only got hit after you ignored me calling you to help me while I was trying to stop them from fighting. Maybe if I would've had help," she trailed off, not finishing the thought.

"I'm sorry, Kitten." She tried to go for a kiss but Cat dodged her, ducking her head so that Jade only caught the top of her head. 

Cat pushed herself out of Jade's arms and crawled into bed. 

"I'm going back to sleep." She waved Jade towards the door, "Go be involved."

* * *

When Jade entered their bedroom around noon, Cat was wide awake, listening to music in her headphones and finally reading the script she had been annoyingly pestered about for the last week. Jade stood in the doorway for a bit, just admiring. 

And, worrying. 

She'd spent a few hours doing what Cat does all day and she felt that she was on the verge of a mental break. It made her question how happy her wife was, if she was happy at all and how she hadn't packed up and left them all behind already. Or, if she would actually maybe do that one day. She didn't think she'd ever be able to move on, if she did that. And, Cat was right. Jade needed to help her more, needed to be more than just "the fun mom". 

(Which she only got the luxury of being because she dumped all the responsibilities on her wife.)

(She's more like her father than she's ever wanted to be.)

She walked over to Cat's side of the bed, furthest from the wall and sat down the vegan pasta she'd made for her. Cat looked over at the food and then up at Jade, who smiled down at her, small and slightly sorrowful. Cat took off her headphones. Jade leant down to kiss her and sighed with relief when the action was reciprocated rather than dodged. Cat pulled back from the kiss first, anticipating only a peck, but Jade chased her lips and pecked her lips again. When Cat pulled back a second time, this time turning her head with the motion, Jade continued to kiss any piece of skin she would get her lips on, cheeks, jaw, neck. 

Her insecurities were rearing their head as well as her guilt from being a lazy wife and she wanted Cat to feel appreciated. Unable to escape her kissing fit, fell into a giggling fit, still trying to get away enough for her to eat. 

"Baby," she looked up, trying to catch Jade's attention, through her laughter. Jade caught her lips again, biting then sucking her bottom lip. Cat gasped and Jade added tongue, tossing Cat's script to the side and crawling into bed with her. 

Not breaking the kiss, Jade grabbed the back of Cat's knees and pulled her into a supine position before settling between her legs, still hovering above her, caressing her her thighs, letting her hand ghost over Cat's bruise. Spurred on by another wave a guilty, the kiss intensified. Cat turned her head so Jade just refocused on her neck. 

"Jade," she tried to get her attention, tried not to moan, but Jade's tongue has always had an euphoric effect on her. Jade got like this whenever Cat was upset with her, always, rather than just saying whatever was on her mind. Jade came back up, tried to reconnect their lips and Cat grabbed her face, stopping her. She could see it, that storm of sadness brewing in Jade's eyes. "What're you thinking, baby?"

Jade relaxed her body, dropping her weight on Cat, resting her head against her bosom. She sighed. Cat side eyed the food Jade just brought in. 

"I'm a shit wife." 

"No, you're not." Jade looked up at her, eyebrow raised to her hairline. But, Cat doubled down, "You're not. You could be better, but you're not bad." 

Jade laid her head back down, and Cat begin playing with her hair. Jade sighed. 

"Are you happy being married to me?" 

Cat didn't have to think about that. She didn't have to lie either. She never wanted to be married to anyone else.

"Yes." 

"Have you ever thought about divorcing me?"

Cat sighed, figuring they'd be like this for a while. She pushed herself up as best as she could and Jade adjusted to her efforts. Readjusting herself onto Cat's lap when she sat up, properly. Cat grabbed the pasta off the nightstand. 

"Nope." 

Jade looked up at that, in disbelief. She honestly thought Cat deserved better. And, though, they'd been together for over fifteen years (married for fourteen), Jade still found herself questioning why Cat chose to be her girlfriend, much less wife. 

"Really?" Jade chewed her lip. "Do you ever regret it? Saying yes, staying?" 

"No, Jade." She took a bite of her pasta, didn't wait until she was done with the forkful before elaborating, "I've loved since we were like eight, okay? You've always been the only person I wanted to live life with. Good parts, bad parts, the parts where I wanna strangle you with your belt," She ate more pasta, ignored Jade's mildly alarmed expression. "When I'm unhappy with you, I'm still a million times happier than I would be with anyone else. I would never leave you, Jade, I just want to feel more like a team." 

Jade sighed, feeling a wave of relief wash over her body. She held onto her wife's waist a little bit tighter. She reflected over the last few hours and snorted. 

"I thought Jazelle was the good one." 

Cat laughed so hard she nearly choked as she shook her head. 

"Baby, we don't have a good one." 

"I promise to be more involved." Jade whispered, sincerely. 

Cat hummed, kept eating, "Good, because I'm gonna do this movie." 


End file.
